BEST NBA PODCASTS
Some favorite basketball podcasts are looked at here. Some focus on interviewing other interesting NBA players/personalities, while others rarely have guests and some will have a more comedic vibe.
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The Lowe Post ~ ESPN
HOST(S)- Zach Lowe
VIBE/FOCUS- NBA analysis, always alongside a special guest
TYPICAL LENGTH- 75-85 minutes
Formerly of Grantland, Zach Lowe is now a Senior NBA Writer at ESPN. Besides his in-depth written pieces and his famous "10 Things" columns, he hosts a supremely popular podcast. On the pod, the witty Lowe always has a special guest, from current players to fellow NBA writers/media members like Bill Simmons, Kevin Arnovitz, and Jackie MacMullan. Zach and his guests focus on current goings-on during the season, but he also offers some great offseason coverage too.
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No Dunks ~ The Athletic
HOST(S)- J.E. Skeets, Tas Melas, Trey Kerby, Leigh Ellis, JD (Jason Doyle)
VIBE/FOCUS- Comedic NBA discourse with several ongoing jokes/segments
TYPICAL LENGTH- 75 minutes (main pods)
This podcast started out as "The Basketball Jones" from about 2007 to 2013. After spiking in popularity, they were picked up as a daily show on NBA TV (with a podcast accompaniment) now known as "The Starters". Most recently, Skeets, Tas, Leigh, Trey and JD have joined under The Athletic to produce "No Dunks".
While the group has come a long way since their earlier days, some things have remained constant. For one, their unique segments, often rooted in a ridiculous concept, have been beloved by listeners since "The Basketball Jones" days. Regularly occurring episode-types like The Drop and Beach Steppin' give the crew a way to talk about NBA happenings through a comical lens - which is ultimately what their whole podcast is at its core.
The Bill Simmons Podcast ~ The Ringer
HOST(S)- Bill Simmons VIBE/FOCUS- Current NBA discussion - trends, trade rumors, occasional recurring guests
TYPICAL LENGTH- 100-120 minutes
Bill Simmons created The Ringer in part to provide a platform for unfiltered, unhinged sports takes with no filter. His podcast is a manifestation of his personality and The Ringer's pillars with his anecdote-rich episodes. Simmons also discusses other sports, but the hardcore Celtics fan does arguably his best work while speaking on the NBA. Simmons, flanked by a guest, will uniquely center a given podcast on a historic basketball team or era, brining modern-style coverage to older but still riveting NBA topics.
Dunc'd on Basketball NBA Podcast ~ Nate Duncan
HOST(S)- Nate Duncan
VIBE/FOCUS- Team rankings, offseason/trade evaluations, salary cap breakdowns, current NBA insights
TYPICAL LENGTH- 60-100 minutes
The Dunc'd on Basketball NBA Podcast takes a distinct dive into NBA subjects, spearheaded by the unofficial cap guru Nate Duncan. He sits down to provide his opinions on certain group of players, oftentimes classifying them in an interesting and perhaps a previously unseen way.
While by himself for these sorts of podcasts, Nate will invite a second person on to talk about certain teams or leading up to the trade dealine for instance. All things considered, this should be your go-to podcast come the busy transaction seasons. Nate makes complicated cap/salary matching principles more simple for listeners to digest.
The Mismatch ~ The Ringer
HOST(S)- Chris Vernon, Kevin O'Connor
VIBE/FOCUS- NBA player & team analysis, comedy, mailbag questions
TYPICAL LENGTH- 60-100 minutes
After years simply under The Ringer NBA Show's podcast feed, The Mismatch bursted through with its own feed in late 2020. Chris Vernon and Kevin O'Connor have deep twice-a-week talks on the current landscape of the NBA. They will also highlight certain players for little stretches within a larger podcast. While they don't always agree, the two hosts have great chemistry and play off of each other with their entertaining banter.
